Motorola Rokr E1

By Kent German and James Kim
Sep 16, 2005

After months of rumors, speculation, and a whole lot of hype, the Motorola iTunes cell phone is finally available. Yes, you can download iTunes songs on to the phone and play them at will, but it's important to note that the Motorola ROKR E1 is less an iPod player with a cell phone attached than it is a phone with Apple iTunes software preinstalled. The ROKR E1 performs its primary functions--playing music and making calls--relatively well, but from our perspective, it is just a noble first try. Due to several tedious limitations, it won't replace your iPod by any means. The phone's music memory is somewhat small at 50 songs maximum, you must use a cable (not Bluetooth) to download music, the overall design is dull, and the iTunes interface is sluggish. At US$249 with a two-year contract, the phone isn't cheap, either. (Note: This is based on the US list price. Localized pricing details in Asia are not yet available.) But the ROKR E1 claims one major advantage over other MP3-capable cell phones on the market: compatibility with iTunes, the world's most popular music download service. We'll buy one when it has more capacity, a faster processor, and an integrated Click Wheel, then dream of the day when the ROKR lets us purchase tracks wirelessly.

Editors' note: Motorola Singapore has confirmed that the ROKR E1 will be available in Singapore from end September. Local pricing will be released closer to launch date.

Design
Ever since Motorola unveiled the now famous Motorola Razr V3, we've expected a lot from its design team. That might explain why we're unimpressed by the Motorola ROKR E1's overall style. It looks nothing like the sleek device in pictures that floated around the techie blogs earlier this summer; rather, it sports a standard candy bar-style form factor that's nearly identical to the Motorola E398's. Almost rectangular in shape and relatively compact (108 x 46 x 20.5mm; 107g), it's furnished in a light silver with metallic touches on the side. Though not unattractive, the ROKR is boring and not what we'd expect from such a high-profile cell phone.

	The Motorola ROKR E1 has an uninspiring design.

The display measures an ample 2.0 inches diagonally and supports 262,000 colors. Great for viewing photos and playing games, the display shines brighter than many Motorola screens we've seen; it's even readable in direct light. You can change the backlighting time and brightness, but visually impaired users should note that you can't alter the font size. The primary tool for navigating iTunes (see Features) and the standard Motorola menu interface is a five-way joystick that you can program as a shortcut to five user-defined features. The joystick is on the small side, but even those with bigger hands shouldn't have a problem. We'd prefer an iPod mini Click Wheel, but during playback of audio files, you can press down on the joystick and pull up information such as full-screen album art and personal ratings.

In addition to the joystick, you'll find the traditional Talk and End keys below the display, two soft buttons, and a dedicated menu key. In an especially convenient touch, there's a clearly marked button that instantly open iTunes. The large keypad buttons are raised above the surface of the phone, making it easy to dial by feel. A bright backlight illuminates the keys, and you can program that light in a choice of eight color patterns that change when you receive a call or during certain actions (text messages, battery charging, and so on).

We liked that the dedicated volume controller on the left spine allows you to adjust levels for calls and music, no matter what screen you're on. The control makes the ROKR E1 sleeker and more agile, though those looking for the prowess of an iPod will be sorely disappointed.

Below the volume rocker, you'll find a "smart key" that you can set as yet another shortcut to any of the phone's features. On the right spine sits a dedicated camera button that's too thin for our tastes. On both sides of the phone, you'll find sizable 22KHz polyphonic stereo speakers that sit above rectangular LED lights, which you can set to flash in accompaniment to the keypad backlighting. It's a gimmicky but eye-catching touch. The camera-lens mirror and a surprisingly bright flash are located on the back of the phone, while the headset jack is conveniently located on the top. The included headphones are well designed and use a cell phone-friendly 2.5mm jack, though a 3.5mm adapter is included for those who want to use their own headphones. About 150mm down from the right earbud sits a microphone for speakerphone calls that works quite well and includes a Mute button.

After looking in vain for the TransFlash card slot (a 512MB card is included), our worst fears were realized when we found it resting behind the battery. But that's not all--you must first remove the SIM card to access it. While you probably won't need to remove the TransFlash card too often, we'd prefer to see it rest in a convenient slot on the phone's spine. And by the way, prying out the battery can be tricky.

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